More than 325 million people in Africa live on less than $1 a day, with little or no access to clean water, sanitation, quality health care, and other life-sustaining goods. That is the way life is for the majority of people in the rural areas of Zimbabwe. Unlike in the urban areas where people who undergo skills training, people in the rural areas have no opportunities to learn needed job skills because such services are limited, or in most cases non-existent in the rural areas. The only source of income for the majority of people is subsistence farming.

The main objective is the program is to develop the entrepreneurship and employability skills of rural youth and women. In addition the foundation will provide micro loans to people to start businesses

Women

Women are the foundation of every society. Yet many women in the rural areas are disadvantaged educationally and economically.

Rural Youth

Zimbabwe’s rural youths are plagued with a myriad of problems ranging from poverty and high incidences of being orphaned to lack of employment and educational opportunities. The rural youth are finding themselves trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty – they are not able to continue their education and yet they are ill-prepared to enter the workforce. Unlike their counterparts, the urban youths who undergo skills training, rural youths have no opportunities to learn needed job skills because such services are limited, or in most cases non-existent in the rural areas. As a result, young people in the rural areas of Chipinge face some of the highest unemployment rates in the world. This situation has been exacerbated by the failing Zimbabwe economy with 94% unemployment rate. It is estimated that about 60% of those who are unemployed are youth. Lack of educational and employment opportunities have resulted in an increase in problem behaviours among the rural youth; particularly, teen pregnancies. Another trend that has become very common among the rural youth is the migration to South Africa in search of jobs and a better life. Unfortunately life is not all that it is cut out to be for the Zimbabwean youths who find themselves trapped in a life of fear and violence as they are the targets of angry South Africans who blame them for taking away their jobs.

Our Approach

The primary focus of this program is to develop the entrepreneurship and employability skills for women and rural youth who are not enrolled in school. We aim to provide vocational training in carpentry, dressmaking, knitting and baking.

Our Accomplishments

The Tekeshe Foundation currently has a Sewing project underway. To date 6 rural women completed their training and are now earning money making school uniforms

Starting in early March 2010 six more women started their sewing training.